Rhizanthella slateri (Rupp) M.A. Clem. & P.J. Cribb 1984

Plant in Bud Photo by David Banks Copyright ©,

Spring

Common Name Slater's Rhizanthella [Australian Orchid Enthusiast 20th cent.] - Eastern Underground Orchid

Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]

Found in New South Wales Australia at elevations of 10 to 1000 meters in montane forested habitats on lower western slopes as a miniature sized, warm to cool growing terrestrial with a fleshy, white rhizome with overlapping fleshy bracts that blooms in the spring on an erect, 4 to 6" [10 to 15 cm] long stem carrying numerous overlapping bracts and carrying a flowerhead

"Text by David Banks - The Eastern Underground Orchid (Rhizanthella slateri) was rediscovered at the type site at Alum Mt, Bulahdelah, New South Wales in May 2002. I was shown the plants and here is one of the photos I took of this rediscovery. The plant depicted is still in tight bud, but I will get flower shots in September. This plant is a rare Mycoheterotrophic orchid that lives beneath the soil and only as flowering is aproaching does it just broach the surface beneath the leaf litter, giving rise to a cluster of small tubular flowers. Since this find, five more colonies have been discovered at the Bulahdelah site."

Synonyms *Cryptanthemis slateri Rupp 1932

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 as Cryptanthemis slateri; AOS Bulletin Vol 35 No 4 1966 as Cryptanthemis slateri; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Lieferung 41 2001; Genera Orchidacearum Vol 2 Part One Pridgeon, Cribb, Chase and Rasmussen 2001 photo fide; Orchids of Australia Riley & Banks 2002; Australian Orchid Review Vol 70 No 5 2005; Australian Orchid Review Vol 71 No 3 2006 photo; Native Orchids of Australia Jones 2006 photo fide; Australian Orchid Review Vol 72 No 1 2007 photo fide;

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